Huntington’s Disease

Symptoms-Physical

• Development of tics (involuntary movement) in the fingers, feet, face, or trunk

• Increased clumsiness • Loss of coordination and balance • Slurred speech • Jaw clenching or teeth grinding • Difficulty swallowing or eating • Continual muscular contractions • Stumbling or falling

Symptoms-Mental (cont.)

• Decreased concentration

• Forgetfulness and memory decline

• Poor judgment

• Difficulty making decisions or answering questions

• Difficulty driving

Symptoms-Emotional (cont.)

• Hostility/irritability

• Lack of energy

• Ongoing disinterest in life (lack of pleasure or joy)

• Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) in some Huntington's patients.

Incidence

• About 7% of HD cases occur in people under the age of 20 years. The highest occurrence is in peoples of Western Europe descent, and relatively lower in the rest of the world.